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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — in a race
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hand — help
  10. capital — a city
  11. can — to be able to
  12. capital — money
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lie — to recline
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com